Goa Maritime Conclave 2023

• 01 Nov 2023

For Prelims: Goa Maritime Conclave 2023, Indian Ocean nations, Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Common Multilateral Maritime Strategy, Prisoner’s Dilemma.

For Mains: Goa Maritime Conclave 2023, . Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Source: PIB

Why in News?

Recently, the 4^th edition of Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) - 2023 has been held by the Indian Navy under the aegis of Naval War College, Goa.

• The conclave was attended by delegates from twelve Indian Ocean nations, including Comoros, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
• Theme 2023: Theme 2023: "Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean Region: Converting Common Maritime Priorities into Collaborative Mitigating Frameworks".

What are the Key Highlights of Goa Maritime Conclave?

• About:
  • The GMC is a high-level gathering of naval and defense officials from various Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations to discuss common maritime challenges and enhance regional cooperation.
  • It is the Indian Navy's outreach Initiative providing a multinational platform to harness the collective wisdom of practitioners of maritime security and the academia towards garnering outcome oriented maritime thought.
  • It provides a forum for exchange of views by the Chiefs of Navy/ Heads of Maritime Agencies on dealing with contemporary and future maritime challenges, as well as presenting cooperative strategies for enhancing interoperability amongst partner maritime agencies.
• Defense Minister’s Address:
  • During the Conclave Defence Minister of India referred to the concept of “Prisoner’s Dilemma” to underscore the need for countries to collaborate with each other instead of working at cross purposes.
    • The concept of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, when applied in the domain of international relations, can explain and analyze various situations where countries face strategic decision-making challenges.
    • For example, when two or more countries engage in an arms race, they often do so out of mutual fear and mistrust.
  • The Indian Defense Minister stressed the need for multinational collaborative mitigation frameworks in the IOR to address common maritime challenges.
    • He emphasized the importance of self-reliance in the defense sector to enhance regional security and prosperity.
    • Also emhasized that a free, open and rule-based maritime order is a priority for all of us.‘Might is right’ has no place in such a maritime order. Adherence to international maritime laws, as enunciated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, must be our lodestar.

What is Prisoner’s Dilemma?

• About:
  • The Prisoner's Dilemma is a fundamental concept in game theory, a branch of mathematics and social science that analyzes strategic decision-making in situations where the outcome depends on the choices of multiple participants.
• Prisoner's Dilemma Scenario:
  • The Prisoner's Dilemma is often illustrated using a scenario where two individuals, let's call them A and B, are arrested for a crime, and they are placed in separate interrogation rooms.
  • The police lack concrete evidence, but they offer each prisoner a choice:
    • If both prisoners remain silent (cooperate), they both serve a relatively short sentence, If both prisoners confess, they both receive a moderately long sentence.
  • The dilemma arises from the fact that each prisoner must decide without knowing the other's choice. The logical decision for each individual, considering their self-interest, is to confess because it ensures the least severe outcome regardless of the other's choice.

What is the Significance of the Secured Indian Ocean Region for India?

• Maritime Security:
  • There is no universal definition of maritime security, but it classifies issues in the maritime domain comprising national security, marine environment, economic development, and human security.
  • Besides the world's oceans, it also deals with regional seas, territorial waters, rivers and ports.
• Significance for India:
  • National Security:
    • For India, maritime security is an important aspect of national security as it has a coastline of over 7,000 km.
    • With advancement in technology, physical threats in the maritime region have now been overshadowed by technological threats.
  • For Trade Purpose:
    • India’s exports and imports have remained mostly across the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.
    • Therefore, Securing Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) have been an important issue for India in the 21st century.
  • Countering China’s Growing:
    • India has expressed concerns about China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean region, particularly in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Maldives.
    • The development of Chinese-controlled ports and military facilities in these areas has been seen as a challenge to India's strategic interests and regional security.
• Present Maritime Security Mechanism in India:
  • Currently, coastal security of India is governed by a three-tiered structure.
    • The Indian Navy patrols the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), while the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is mandated to do patrolling and surveillance up to 200 nautical miles (i.e., Exclusive Economic Zone).
  • Simultaneously, the State Coastal/Marine Police (SCP/SMP) performs boat patrolling in shallow coastal areas.
  • The SCP have jurisdiction up to 12 nautical miles from the coast; and the ICG and the Indian Navy have jurisdiction over the entire maritime zone (up to 200 nautical miles), including the territorial waters (with the SMP).
• India's Recent Maritime Engagements:
  • To address shared concerns over maritime security, Indian naval ships conducted coordinated patrols with countries like Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius in 2023.
    • These patrols aimed to combat piracy, smuggling, and illicit trafficking in the Indian Ocean region.
  • India has been actively involved in capacity-building activities to support African nations in achieving self-sufficiency and enhancing their maritime capabilities.
• SAGAR Initiative:
  • Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was launched in 2015. It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
  • Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbors and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q1. With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)’, consider the following statements: (2015)

1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills.
2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (d)

Mains

Q. With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China. (2014)